KATHMANDU, AUGUST 26
At a national dialogue program on domestic and care work orgnaized by Yuwalaya in partnership with Oxfam in Asia Regional Platform, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representative (HoR), Indira Rana, emphasized the need for a household-level campaign to encourage everyone's involvement in tasks traditionally seen as women's responsibilities.
She stressed that domestic and care work should be recognized, non-violent, and supported by all. Rana also committed to the effective implementation of laws related to these areas and highlighted the importance of education and counseling to change societal attitudes.
Bina Lama, whip of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party, pointed out the lack of a dedicated policy for household and care work, which still occupies a large portion of the population. She urged civil society and representativives to take unified action and promised to advocate for this issue within her party and parliament.
Kamala Parajuli, Chairperson of the National Women's Commission, noted the disparity in respect and recognition for care work done at home versus abroad.
She emphasized the need to change societal attitudes toward such work and highlighted ongoing awareness campaigns by the commission.
Prof. Dr. Nandita Sharma of Tribhuvan University suggested integrating education on domestic and care work into school curricula from the primary level to eliminate social misunderstandings. Shuspa Bhujel, a member of the Bagmati Provincial Assembly, added that development is not just about infrastructure but also about addressing women's everyday challenges.
Yuwalaya President Dharmaraj Rimal highlighted the organization's continuous advocacy efforts with government officials across all levels.
He believes that the campaign for recognizing domestic and care work will gain momentun if society, especially the youth, understands that these responsibilities are not gender specific and require collective effort. Recognize, Reduce, Redistribute: A Call for Equity in Domestic and Care Work.
